1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to an apparatus for producing a liquid concentrate from a dry material.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Liquid agricultural chemicals are typically distributed to bulk retail consumers at a transfer location known as a “mixing station”. A schematic diagram of a typical mixing station generally indicated by the reference character S is illustrated to the left of the double dividing lines indicated on FIG. 1.
The mixing station S includes one or more tanks T1 to Tn each of which contains a liquid chemical material. Each tank is connected through a respective metering pump P1 to Pn to a retail delivery line L1 to Ln. One or more of the tanks may also be connected via a respective valve V1 to Vn to a common mix tank M. The outlet of common mix tank M is also connected to a retail delivery line LMT. The system is controlled by the station operator from a master central control room C.
In a typical retail transaction a predetermined volume of liquid material is metered from either one or more tank(s) T1 to Tn or from the common mix tank M and delivered via the appropriate delivery line into a customer's tanker or sprayer W. The system S is well suited to the dispensation of liquid chemical materials.
However, it is not feasible for some agricultural chemicals, such as sulfonylurea-based materials, to be shipped from manufacturer to distributor in liquid form. Instead, such materials are transported in dry form.
This circumstance creates a problem when delivering dry materials to a customer at the mixing station. In such instances it is necessary to manually convert the dry product into a liquid form. A precise amount of the dry chemical product must be dispensed from a small container, transferred to the common mix tank, and manually converted into a liquefied slurry. When larger quantities of the product are desired a bulk dispensing apparatus known as a PrecisionPac™ dispenser is commonly used to dispense precise weights of the dry product. However, it usually takes some period of time for the dry product to be converted to a liquid state so that it can be pumped with other liquids to the customer's vehicle.
U.S. Pat. No. 7,075,019 (Bergman et al.), assigned to the assignee of the present invention, discloses a measuring and dispensing system for dry flowable materials.
This procedure is perceived as disadvantageous for several reasons. As noted, it is time-consuming, thus reducing the number of customers that may be processed through the station. Moreover, it is possible that the dry product may not be dissolved or dispersed properly before it is loaded into the customer's vehicle.
In view of the foregoing it is believed advantageous to provide an apparatus to quickly convert a dry material into a liquid concentrate form that may be dispensed to a customer with other liquid materials.